Electric switch



l Dec. 7, 19.37. 1. FlGuElRA 2,101,539

v f ELECTRIC swiTcH Filed Ochs, 1954 2 sheets-sheet 1 zyz:

ATTORNEYS.

Dec. 7, 1937. J. FIGUEIRA l `ELECTRIC `SWITCH Filed Oct; 8, 1934 2 Shets-'Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY5 l Patented1 Dec. 7,1937` A* UNITED" STATES PAT ENT OFFICE. l

This invention relates to an electric switch of the rotary type that is particularly adapted as a canopy switch, although `it is not restricted to this use.

Heretoforek canopy switches of fthe rotary type havebeen produced in which the switch `operating shaft extended through holding'means for the switch, which in turn extended through the canopy, and aknurled button was attached to the end `of theswitch operatingmember or shaft so that this shaftcould be turned by .twisting the button with the fingers. For a long time there has lbeen a desire for switches of vthis sort that could be operated by a pull chain or the like and which at thesame time Vwould ,not occupy an inordinate amount of spaceor present a cumbersome appearane.

yBy the present invention a switch of thel type referred to isproduced ina very economicaland efllcient manner which can be made so as not to occupy much space and is very freefrom getting out `of order or becomingbroken or rapidly worn out.

The invention will `be understood from the description in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Fig. l is a plan view from the rear "ofl an illustrative embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a section along the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through the switch support and` other portions of the device along a plane parallel to the paper; Fig. 4 is a sectionalong the line 4-4 of Fig.2; Figd is a plan view of the base of the switch showing some of the parts; and Figs. 6 and 7 are plan views of some of the details.`

In the drawings reference character I indicates a somewhat oval shaped base or housing of insulating material having flat sides and also having a recess 2 (Figs. 2 and 5) intermediate the sides for accommodating a make andbreak member 3 and spring contacts 4 and 5. The spring contacts 4 and 5 are anchored in recesses provided at opposite sides of the recess 2 and 'these contacts 4 and 5 are electrically connected to the wires 6 and l, as indicated in Fig. 5.

, `A metal plate 8 (Fig. 2) lies along the lower side of the portionfof the make and break mem- A prevented fromturning `in the opposite direction ,-by the` radially extending portions of the teeth contactingV withY the ends of the contacts 4 andY 5. A polygonal, preferably square hole I0, is provided inthe` member 3 to receive` a correspondingly `shaped shaft II for turning the member 3. The outer end cf the polygonal or square shaft I I is reduced and rounded, as indicated at I2.

A sheet of insulating material I3 (Fig.Y 2)` of the same shape as the base I closes the recess 2 and has a central opening through which the shaft II extends. A metal plate I4lies upon the insulating plate I3 and is provided with lugs I5 bent at right angles to the plate I4 and extending across the edges of the plate I3 to keep it in place.` The plate I4, is also provided with arms I that extend along the flat sides of the `base I (Fig. 1).,MThese arms I5 are reduced at their outer ends and bent over behind thebase I, as I vided with aflanged opening I9 sufficiently large to permit the shaft II to extend therethrough and turn freely therein. A pull chain or the like is connected to the curved flange 2l on the member I9 by slipping a link of this chain into the notch 2I in the well known way. A tongue 22 (Figs, 3, 4 and 6) is struck downwardly from the member I9 in such a position that the end thereof strikes the edges of the teeth I 8 `of the disc Il in succession as the chain 20 is pulled, thus turning the disc Il, shaft II and make and break Vdevice3, 'thereby-alternately opening and closing the circuit.

A coil spring 23 is provided for returning the member I9 after the chain 20 has been released. One end of the spring 23 engages a notch 24 in the flange 2| and the other end of this spring engages one side of a tongue that will now be described.

A tongue 25 is struck up from the plate I4 at right angles and is again bent at right angles to provide a portion 26 that is parallel to the plate I4 and against the edge of which portion one end of the spring 23 rests. The portion 26 is provided with a hole 26 which serves as a bearing for the reduced portion I2 of the shaft II. The shoulder on the shaft II near this reduced portion prevents the shaft II from becoming displaced.

A cup shaped metal casing 21 encloses the switch operating mechanism that has been described.l Portions 28 of the walls of the cup shaped casing 21 extend short distances along the fiat sides of the base I (Fig. l). Notches 29 (Fig. 2) are provided along opposite edges of the casing 21 so that this portion of the casing rests upon the sheet of insulating material I3. This portion of the casing 21 is also provided with notches 30 to accommodate the lugs I5.

The edges 3I of the rim of the member 21 are crimped inwardly at the ends of the portions 28 over the portions 32 of the metal plate I4 near the edges of the arms I5, which extend beyond the straight sides of thel base I, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, to keep the member 21 securely with a washer 31 between this ange and the inside wall of the casing 21, thus keeping the nipple 35 securely in place. A knurled nut 38 `is screwed -on the nipple 35 and the chain 20 extends through the nipple 35 and nut 38.

The switch may be retained in place by having a hole in a canopy through which the nipple 35 projects and screwing the nut 3B against the outer face of the canopy wall, thus clamping this portion of the canopy wall between the nut 38 and the casing 21. Or, a threaded washer may be provided on the nipple 35 between the casing 21 and the inside wall of the canopy, or the switch can be retained in place in any other convenient way. y

The operation of the device is similar to similar devices that are provided with a button on the operating shaft of the make and break device, except that the circuit is alternately opened and closed with the present device by successive pulls on the chain 2l), or other flexible operating member that is attached to the member I9. However, this device possesses the advantage of eliminating the danger of the turning of the shaft I2 by one pull of the chain 20 being so great as to cause the member 3 to be turned a sufficient distance to open the circuit and immediately thereafter close the same, or vice versa.

The reason for this is that one end of the curved flange 2I strikes against one edge of the tongue 25 when the chain ispulled before the member 3 is turned too far, and the other end of the flange 2I strikes against the other edge of the tongue 25 before the spring 23 turns the member I 9 back a sucient distance to cause the end of the tongue 22 to catch behind the wrong tooth I8 when the chain 20 is released.

I claim:

1. In an electric switch, a base, a revoluble make and break device in said base, an axially extending shaft for operating said make and break device, a metal plate through which said shaft passes attached to said base, a struck up tongue from said plate having a journal for said shaft, and mechanism for operating said shaft, said shaft operating mechanism being located between said plat/e and tongue.

2. In an electric switch, a base, a revoluble make and break device in said base, an axially extending shaft for operating said make and break device, a metal plate through which said shaft passes attached to said base, mechanism for operating said shaft, and a metal housing for said shaft operating mechanism attached to said metal plate on the other side of said plate from said housing.

3. In an electric switch, a base, a revoluble make and break device in said base, an axially extending shaft for operating said make and break device, a metal plate through which said shaft passes attached to said base, mechanism for operating said shaft, and a metal housing for said shaft operating mechanism attached to said metal plate by having portions of the wall thereof bent under extending portions of said plate.

4. In an electric switch, a base of insulating material having a recessl therein, a revoluble make and break device in said recess, a shaft for operating said make and break device, a sheet of insulation and a metal plate closing said recess and provided with openings for said shaft, a struck-up tongue from said plate having a journal for said shaft, operating means for said 'shaft located between said tongue and said plate,

and a metal housing for said shaft operating means attached to said base and located on the other side of said sheet and plate from said base.

JOSEPH FIGUEIRA. 

